Byron Bay dolphin kayaking tours: Cost and duration
It is possible to go kayaking with dolphins in Byron Bay, New South Wales. Three hour Byron Bay kayaking tours with Cape Byron Kayaks also allow for sightings of Australian sea birds and loggerhead turtles.
Dolphins are a common sight around the coast of Australia. It is possible to swim with dolphins in Adelaide, or maybe see them in the Swan River on a ferry from Perth to Rottnest Island. But surfing lesson hotspot Byron Bay in northern New South Wales, 759km north of Sydney and 166km south of Brisbane is an extremely reliable spot for seeing dolphins.
To book your Byron Bay dolphin kayaking tour, click here.
What’s more, you can see them in a rather unusual way – tour companies offer the opportunity to go kayaking with dolphins in Byron Bay.
Cost of Byron Bay dolphin kayaking tours
Three hour Byron Bay kayaking with dolphins tours with Cape Byron Kayaks cost $69. Sit-on-top sea kayaks, designed for stability and ease of operation, are used. No previous kayaking experience is required, and lifejacket, helmets and wetsuits are provided. The Byron Bay kayaking tours depart from the beach.
Surf kayaking in Byron Bay
Getting to the Byron Bay dolphins requires getting through the crashing surf that made the beach town famous, however. This is what makes sea kayaking a different proposition from paddling on a lake or river. But battling through the surf and riding high on the swell is a large part of what makes it so much fun. It’s like constantly moving from mountain to valley, and there’s something hypnotic about being low to the water while the ocean does its thing.
While looking for the Byron Bay dolphins, there are plenty of other wildlife-spotting opportunities. Sea birds dive down for a tasty snack in the water, and this is a good sign. If sea birds are feeding on fish, dolphins might be too.
There are also turtles. Look out for them surfacing around the kayak. Green turtles tend to be a little shy, but the huge loggerheads are not so much. Given they can be the size of coffee tables, that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
8 amazing Byron Bay experiences worth booking today
- Experience the region’s glorious natural landscapes from above – on a hot air balloon ride.
- Go kayaking with dolphins – and get much closer to them than on a boat tour 🐬.
- Learn to surf – on a half day surf lesson 🏄♀️.
- Discover the local secrets – let a guide show you the hidden beaches and waterfalls 🏖️.
- Go on a three habitat wildlife safari – spotting koalas, kangaroos and flying foxes 🐨🦘.
- See glowworms light up the World Heritage-listed rainforest.
- Explore the Byron Bay hinterland – including the rainforest walk to Minyon Falls.
- Taste craft beers and spirits – on a tour of Byron’s breweries and distilleries 🍻.
- Also try… Skydives | Sea-kayaking | Whale-watching.
Finding the Byron Bay dolphins
There’s a reason that the tours last three hours, however, and that’s to give enough time to track down the local dolphin pod. When the guide finally spots them, a shout goes up.
Fins rise and fall with the waves, first one or two, then ten or twelve. And they get remarkably close to the kayaks.
This is the major difference between kayaking with dolphins and seeing them on a boat cruise. On a boat, there’s a sense of distance. In a kayak, a dolphin can lift itself out of the water right in front of you. In a way, this is an even better encounter than swimming with dolphins. A sleek silver curve arcing upwards, then seamlessly sliding back into the water is the sort of memory it’s worth coming all the way to Byron Bay for.
More kayaking tours in Australia
If you can’t get to Byron Bay, kayaking with dolphins is also available with Epic Ocean Adventures in Rainbow Beach, Queensland, or Dolphin Sanctuary Kayak Tours around Garden Island near Adelaide. Near Melbourne, Sea Kayak Australia runs a dolphin kayaking tour on Port Phillip Bay from Sorrento.
Other kayaking with animals adventures in Australia include kayaking with seals from Apollo Bay on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, and paddling on the pelican-packed Coorong near Goolwa in South Australia. Dolphins and turtles can also be seen on a Whitsundays kayaking tour.